Improvement in railroad-rail joints



D. R. HARDER.

Railroad Rail-Joints. No. 207,1l9. 1 Patented Au 20; I878.

N-PEIERS. PNOYO-LITHOGFIAPHER. WASHINGTON. l7v C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DENNIS R. HARDER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-RAIL JOINTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 207,119, dated August20, 1878; application filed February 15, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DENNIS It. HARDER, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement inFish-Bars for Railroad-Joints, which improvement is fully set forth inthe following specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a side view of a railroad-trackillustrating the manner of applying my improved rail-coupling. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal section of the same in the line a: w of Fig. 1; and Fig.3 a vertical cross-section of the same in the line y y of Fig. 2.

The object of my invention is to avoid the use of railroad-chairs, andat the same time to furnish a means for securing the fish-platecouplings to the rails at their meeting ends in such a manner as toleave one side of the web of the rails perfectly plane for the passageof auxiliary supporting-wheels of a car-truck, for purposes hereinafterexplained.

The nature of my invention consists of a railroad-rail constructed withoblong parallel bevel shaped slots through its web at its joint ends,which slots receive countersunk bolt-heads, so as to leave a smoothuninterrupted plane along one of its sides under the head of the rail,in combination with a fishplate on its opposite side for staying therails at their joints, as will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent the railroad-rails fastenedto the sleepers by means of spikes or in any other suitable manner. Thejoint a of the rails A A is, as usual, placed in the center of asleeper. A fish-bar, B, is fitted very tightly upon the outer sides ofthe rails A, having its base precisely flush with the base of the saidrails. The rails A are constructed at each of their joint ends withoblong parallel bevel-shaped slots b. The said slots 1) are each formedwith beveled sides 0. These slots are formed in the web of each end ofthe rails beneath and under the heads thereof, as shown in the drawings.The slots I) are placed at such suitable distances apart so as not toweaken the strength of the rails.

D D are bolts passed through the beveled slots 1) in the rails A andthrough the fish bar B. The heads of the bolts D are countersunk in theslots b, so as to be on a plane with the web of the rails A, as seen inFig. 3. The bolts D are provided with extended necks e below theirheads, and made of an oblong flattened shape, so as to abut against therail A when the bolts are inserted to their proper position. The saidnecks e of the bolts correspond in size to the base of the slots b, andthus the consequent loosening of the bolts by thej arrin g of the railsis prevented. After the bolts D have been passed through the fish-bar B,nu'ts d are applied for securing the parts tightly together. By makingthe slots b with beveled sides and longer than the heads of the bolts D,expansion of the rails A will take place during the passage of trains.

By having the heads of the bolts. D countersunk in the rails A, anddispensing with a supporting fish bar on one side of the said rail, aperfectly smooth plane is secured, so as to allow of the uninterruptedpassage of auxiliary or safety supporting and guiding wheels sometimesused on car-trucks.

The oblong parallel bevelshaped slots 1) in the web of the rails A areformed at such distances apart that thefish-bar can be secured to theside of the rails in a very permanent manner.

By my improved construction the joints between the rails will be greatlystrengthened with but little labor and much less expense than by anyplan now in use.

It will be understood that the auxiliary wheel or wheels referred to areused to prevent cars jumping the track, thereby avoiding seriousaccidents.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-- 1. "A railroad-rail, A, constructed with oblongbevel-shaped slots b through its web at its joint end, substantially inthe manner and for the purpose set forth,

2. The bevel -headed bolts D, having oblong flattened necks v e, incombination with the rail A and fish-bar B, substantially as described.

3. A railroad-rail constructed with oblong plication for a patent for animproved fishbevel shaped slots Z1, which slots receive counbar forrailroad-joints, this 7th day of Decemtersunk bolt-heads D 0, so as toleave a smooth ber, 1876. uninterrupted plane along one of its sides, in

combination with a, fish-plate B, on its oppo- DENNIS HARDER site side,substantially in the manner and for \Vitnesses: the purpose described.P. T. HARDER,

Witness my hund in the matter of my amp J'As. VAN ALLEN, J r.

